Any Casual STO Players?

I only play 5-6 hour's weekly, and feel like I'm really missing out on effectively using my time, I kinda just fly around and play the episodes...I've been in the game off and on for over 2 years and only have one level 50 guy...only have mark 11 stuff...and I'm sure my duty officer roster is an absolute mess....any other casual players? any good resources for casual players?...everything I come across seems to cater towards the hardcore who spend hours playing every day....

I only play 5-6 hour's weekly, and feel like I'm really missing out on effectively using my time, I kinda just fly around and play the episodes...I've been in the game off and on for over 2 years and only have one level 50 guy...only have mark 11 stuff...and I'm sure my duty officer roster is an absolute mess....any other casual players? any good resources for casual players?...everything I come across seems to cater towards the hardcore who spend hours playing every day....

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Is that time daily, several blocks or one full block of time?

With time at a premium, it helps to decide what you want to do with it. If you want to do the episodes, you can get through those with green gear. It will get easier with blue or purple gear, but lets say you want XII greens. You need EC. The best way for someone who doesn't want to spend RL cash is to do a foundry farming mission. So instead of doing all episodes, work in one or two foundry farming missions. The first one you do each day will pay ship gear, personal gear or commodities.

Do a foundry mission and see what is worth equipping. Everything else you sell. With your time at a premium, you should probably vendor everything. You can earn 300k to 600k EC that way. With this cash you can start buying your green mk XII gear. Once you have all green gear, then you can start working towards blue gear. Don't worry about purple mk XII gear until you finish the episodes and are ready for end game content.

As far as your doffs, the next time you DOff, note the names of the assignments you normally do, and what DOffs they need, and the necessary traits for those DOffs. This will help you build your list of what you need. With limited funds start with green DOffs. Then upgrade to blue.

Tribble Puncher - When I'm short on time (which is most of the time these days), I do the DOFF assignments. I focus on Diplomacy first, my character's profession second, then everything else. DOFF assignments can net you a wide range of things from credits to equipment and BOFFs.

It took me 18 months to get my first char to level 50 so you're not alone. I'm in Central Europe, but if you see me online give a shout. I'll run an episode with you.

Tribble Puncher - When I'm short on time (which is most of the time these days), I do the DOFF assignments. I focus on Diplomacy first, my character's profession second, then everything else. DOFF assignments can net you a wide range of things from credits to equipment and BOFFs.

It took me 18 months to get my first char to level 50 so you're not alone. I'm in Central Europe, but if you see me online give a shout. I'll run an episode with you.

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Rocketeer, Vendikarr, J. Allen, Thanks for the useful information, both of you....Yeah I'm all over the place on time...so we'll say I log in a couple of times a week and play in 2-3 hour blocks...Anyway, a couple of things (3 actually), I have alot of samples, particle traces, etc. I've sold some on the exchange, but not much, alot of it is "common" inventory, I hate to just throw it away, but my bank and inventory is becoming quite clogged...any thoughts? also, I'm a member of a fleet that I'm not sure I want to be in, how do I drop out?, should I notify the "fleet master?, I'm quite ignorant of the social aspects of the game, which means I'm probably missing out on alot. Again, thanks for all the help

If you want to do the episodes, you can get through those with green gear. It will get easier with blue or purple gear, but lets say you want XII greens.

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You can get through the episodes with the random drops you pick up along the way. If you really want to buy stuff, you can do all the episodes (and normal STF's) easily in white mk9 gear. Heck, I think I've only bought two or three mkX+ guns off anything, exchange or otherwise, for all of my characters in all of my 1.5 years of playing, and I don't even farm or anything.

Tribble Puncher - When I'm short on time (which is most of the time these days), I do the DOFF assignments. I focus on Diplomacy first, my character's profession second, then everything else. DOFF assignments can net you a wide range of things from credits to equipment and BOFFs.

It took me 18 months to get my first char to level 50 so you're not alone. I'm in Central Europe, but if you see me online give a shout. I'll run an episode with you.

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Rocketeer, Vendikarr, J. Allen, Thanks for the useful information, both of you....Yeah I'm all over the place on time...so we'll say I log in a couple of times a week and play in 2-3 hour blocks...Anyway, a couple of things (3 actually), I have alot of samples, particle traces, etc. I've sold some on the exchange, but not much, alot of it is "common" inventory, I hate to just throw it away, but my bank and inventory is becoming quite clogged...any thoughts? also, I'm a member of a fleet that I'm not sure I want to be in, how do I drop out?, should I notify the "fleet master?, I'm quite ignorant of the social aspects of the game, which means I'm probably missing out on alot. Again, thanks for all the help

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regarding the data samples. On board your ship, go see the Science officer. Under special projects, I think, he has doff assignments where you give those to him, and the next day you get 250 dilithium. The rares he wants 3 of each and will return to you 500 dilithium. If you have huge stocks of each type, you can probably get a few runs out of those assignments. Just make sure you have good DOffs so you aren't just throwing away your samples

What V said about the data samples. There prices can flux wildly. I never discard any. I used to use a lot in crafting, then donating to fleet or giving to alt chars or friends. Some can also be used for fleet projects.

It would be more proper to let the fleet leader(s) know why you are leaving. If they are mature, they will accept your reasons. It's been my experience that you will enjoy a fleet more if you choose the fleet vs you accepting a blind fleet invite.

I have been playing since launch so the grind fatigue for this game is off the chart for me, i logged in yestarday and did two Rom mission before i had to turn it off again, i dont think i have the will power to grind another charactor upto level 50.

And no before anybody asks, you cant have my stuff. lol

Shame though you cant trade or sell your unwanted account back to them.

I took a short break of around 3 months because the grind was getting to me, but I came back to STO again. I did create a new romulan character just to play the new LoR missions, but I don't think I will be putting any effort into that character.

Well i will say it lasted longer than GW2, i got a charactor and a half out of that before grinding fatigue hit, but at least with GW2 you only paid for the game and could walk away, unlike the cash and time you invested in STO which makes it much harder to simply walk away from.

But i will say the one positive thing that these games have made me appreciate these days is a good single player game, god did i lap up the last Tomb raider game.

Haggis and tatties - I read an article (perhaps on TrekToday) that said that EU players could sell their accounts. Something about the EU laws on digital ownership. So if you're an EU citizen residing in Glasgow, that may be an option. (I'm not an EU citizen, so can't speak with authority on the subject.)

However, I recommend keeping your account incase you ever want to jump back into the game.

Sadly STO has an extreme nickel and dime approach. If you make a leveling mistake, you have to pay to fix it. In order to buy an item more than 10 mil credits, you have to pay 5 bucks to remove the cap. Not enough inventory space? (there isn't enough) You have to pay 4 dollars, 4 times, on 1 character to max space out. It doesn't even cross over to other chars. Not enough bank space? 3 bucks, 4 times, for 1 character. You can waste day after day slaving away getting dilithium ore to exchange for zen. But that's real fun, especially how illiberal it is with the ore and that you cannot refine more than 8k per day.

Haggis and tatties - I read an article (perhaps on TrekToday) that said that EU players could sell their accounts. Something about the EU laws on digital ownership. So if you're an EU citizen residing in Glasgow, that may be an option. (I'm not an EU citizen, so can't speak with authority on the subject.)

However, I recommend keeping your account incase you ever want to jump back into the game.

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Good luck trying to see that one pass here in the States....House and Senate Republicans would go out into the streets and take hostages to stop that from going through...

Sadly STO has an extreme nickel and dime approach. If you make a leveling mistake, you have to pay to fix it. In order to buy an item more than 10 mil credits, you have to pay 5 bucks to remove the cap. Not enough inventory space? (there isn't enough) You have to pay 4 dollars, 4 times, on 1 character to max space out. It doesn't even cross over to other chars. Not enough bank space? 3 bucks, 4 times, for 1 character. You can waste day after day slaving away getting dilithium ore to exchange for zen. But that's real fun, especially how illiberal it is with the ore and that you cannot refine more than 8k per day.

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Well, you have the choice between alá carte play or sub. Many of those benefits are included already and aloow higher slot caps already like the EC limit on all characters or additional free bank space and lots of other quality of life services for Gold players.

The whole game is completely free to play. You don't need to pay a single dime and if you still want extra services you can work for them ingame through the exchange. No one is forced to pay real money ever.
The money route is just mor convenient and faster of course. And apparently enough people have enough money to burn to make that possible for true free players.
When I compare the F2P model with what TOR is doing I can only pull my imaginary hat to the devs at Cryptic. Their model is leaps and bounds better and more fair.
Everything you unlock through whatever means you keep forever and eventually you get to a point where you maxed all that stuff and don't even have to pay extra for convenience anymore.... Consumables for extended access to flashpoints, pvp matches, operations?!?!?!? Not in STO!

If you get tired of the grind, just stop playing. The game isn't going anywhere [yet]. Your stuff isn't going anywhere (unless it's in your mailbox - that gets cleared out with inactivity). If you're gold, just cancel the sub before you stop LTS and silver players can just start right back up in a few weeks/months. I've done it two or three times.